


"A Hutchinson Primer"

by DPPatricks



Category: Starsky & Hutch
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-15
Updated: 2018-03-15
Packaged: 2019-03-31 19:48:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13982079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DPPatricks/pseuds/DPPatricks
Summary: A brief history of Ken Hutchinson's life between the Spring of 1969 and 1983.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> When I wrote and posted my ‘Line’ drabble on the Me_and_Thee 100 site, February 3, I didn’t know it would turn into a story arc. Here is the third segment.

Spring, 1969, Los Angeles, California

 

“What’s the matter, Minnesota, don’t you want to be rich? Famous? Have a mansion in Beverly Hills? Diamonds and silks to drape all over that pretty wife of yours?”

Kenneth Hutchinson looked across the room at the sneering face of Ed Fletcher, one of his classmates; they were both in their second year of UCLA med school. “Not especially.” Ken dropped his gaze back to the text he was reading.

Someone laughed. “Give it up, Eddy. Hutchinson’s got higher goals. He wants to _help_ people.”

“Yeah,” another student piped up. “Cure disease, mend broken bones. Bet he’ll even try to defeat Death.” 

A third taunting voice was edgy. “He wants to _fix_ things. And while he’s doing that, he’ll be giving the rest of us a bad name because we’re going into medicine for the money!”

Hutchinson was on the verge of telling the idiots just where they could shove their opinions when a hand fell on his shoulder and Ralph Nelson, his only friend in the class, sat down next to him. “Don’t pay any attention, Ken. Their brains are even smaller than their dicks.” Nelson took a good look at Hutchinson’s sullen face and rigid pose. “Hey… what’s up?”

Ken shrugged. “Nothing, Ralph. Guess I’m just a little uptight.”

“I heard Richards came down on you, but he’s a shithead.” Nelson pulled the book Ken had been reading over and flipped through it. “He’s the worst teacher we’ll have to face until we get our degrees; don’t let him bother you.” He pushed the volume back.

Ken stowed it in his backpack. “I know that. I think I need to get out of here for a while, though. Otherwise, I’m going to tell the Dean exactly where he can stick the degree I thought I was after!”

“Wait a minute.” Ralph appeared stunned. “You’re the best student in the class, Ken. Are you saying you’re gonna bail out? Give up the idea of being a doctor?”

“I’ve been considering it.” Ken gestured toward the others, huddled around a far table, whispering, probably about him and his elevated aspirations. “Money, big houses, fancy cars, more money, and prestige, are all anyone in this whole place ever talks about. I’m sick of it, and that mentality. I _did_ want something else!” He started to get up but Nelson caught his arm.

“You just need a break, Big Guy, you’re wound too tight.” Nelson reached into his pocket, brought out a key ring, and took one off. “Here.” He pressed the thing into Ken’s hand. “My family’s got a little cabin up in the Sierras. Nobody’s there right now so it’s yours. Go! Get away for a few days, de-stress. Clear your head. Don’t do anything you or Vanessa will regret before you take some time to think about it. Okay?”

Ken looked down at the key, then up at his friend. “You’re sure it wouldn’t be a problem?”

“Sure, I’m sure! Let me show you how to get there.” He grabbed Ken’s notebook and tore out a sheet of paper.

*******

Hutchinson thought about the idea of getting out of town as he drove home. Vanessa would be in Hawaii for a few weeks and there were no important tests coming up at school, only reading he’d already done. His grades were excellent and he could afford to miss a few lectures; he really was burned out. Med school wasn’t turning out to be what he’d expected and he was very nearly ready to throw in the towel. He absolutely dreaded telling Van, though. 

He pulled his decrepit sedan into the slot next to Vanessa’s sleek, silver Mercedes in the security garage of their apartment building, dragged himself to the elevator and slumped against the wall during the ascent to the fourteenth floor. He let himself in the front door, dropped his backpack in the entry, and walked directly to the bedroom, knowing his wife would be getting ready to leave for the airport soon. 

She was sitting at her vanity, her back to him, but he could tell she had seen him in her mirror. She said nothing and, figuring that telling her quickly might get the worst of it over with, he didn’t mince words. “I’m pretty sure I’m going to be quitting med school.”

She didn’t miss a stroke in whatever she was doing to her eyes. “You can’t be serious.”

“Oh, but I am.” He leaned against the door jamb. 

“Really, Ken, at some point in your life, hopefully soon, you’re going to need to make a decision and stick to it.” The undisguised sarcasm cut through him while her gaze flicked to his reflection. “I’ll be gone for three weeks. Vogue has rented most of the beach at Waikiki for the shoot. If, by the time I get back, you haven’t put that silly idea in the trash where it belongs, I’m going to be forced to start looking for a divorce attorney.” 

Satisfied with her eye makeup, she began to concentrate on her hair. “First you decided you didn’t like pre-law, and now it’s med-school? Our parents were putting you through your initial choice -”

“It wasn’t mine,” Hutchinson muttered.

She raised a meticulously detailed eyebrow but continued as if he hadn’t interrupted. “And I’m paying the freight for medical school. You’re a kept man, sweetie…” She glanced over her shoulder and her smile bordered on nasty. “You should be used to it by now.” 

Looking at her beautiful image in the beveled glass, Kenneth Hutchinson wondered what, besides skin-deep allure, he had ever seen in his wife. “Sometimes you push too hard, Van.”

“Oh, grow up!” She didn’t even glance at him.

Ken watched her with fascination and wondered how they’d come to this; at cross-purposes most of the time and not really listening to each other.

He had met Van on the rebound from his brief marriage to his high school sweetheart, Nancy Garner. Ken and Nance had started at the University of Minnesota together, he in Business Administration, she in Economics. Since everyone in Duluth knew they’d marry someday, they became engaged during their second year and rented an off-campus apartment.

One night, between their sophomore and junior years, she broke down while making dinner, telling him she was pregnant. “Oh, Ken, I’m sorry. I thought I was being so careful.”

“It’s okay, honey. We were always going to get married. We’ll just tie the knot sooner than expected, that’s all. Your folks’ll be pleased, won’t they?”

“Of course they will, darling. They love you, and they want grandchildren!”

“Okay, let’s pick a date. But nothing fancy.”

“No, dear, we’ll keep it small.”

‘Small’ it wasn’t, but the bride and groom put up with the two sets of grandparents’ arrangements that became more grandiose every day, right up until the ceremony. They smiled, began their junior year, and it was marital bliss, until after she miscarried. Nancy simply couldn’t cope with the stresses of college, marriage, and losing a baby; she asked for a divorce. Neither family gave them too much grief and, as such things go, it was amicable. She transferred to Wellesley College in Massachusetts and, at the start of his senior year, Ken fell into the arms of Vanessa Cavendish.

Van was also in her final year at UMinn, majoring in Fashion Design, but their paths had never crossed until the night of a party, thrown in a posh downtown hotel, by one of her sorority sisters. Ken and Van became lovers that first night and all their friends vowed they were the perfect couple: both came from wealthy families, were stunningly good looking, and exhibited the appropriate manners and habits of the upwardly mobile. Ken would be a pillar of his father’s firm, they said, and Van would take the world of couture by storm. 

They were married immediately after graduation in a spectacle that was even larger and more expensive than his and Nancy’s had been. Ken had told her all about Nance but Vanessa never mentioned to a single soul that she was a _second_ wife. Knowing of her short fuse, no one who was aware of the fact ever said a word. 

After the lavish wedding, Ken had acquiesced to his father’s demands that he enter pre-law graduate school. Two years in, though, he knew he really wasn’t cut out to be a lawyer. Especially not one in his father’s fourteen-partner firm. Against that august person’s thunderous objections, Ken talked Van into moving to California where he enrolled in pre-med at UCLA.

Vanessa had originally been opposed but, realizing how much closer she’d be to the bright, glittery scene of Los Angeles and Hollywood, she had second thoughts. “Doctors usually make lots more money than lawyers, don’t they, Baby?” God, how he _hated_ it when she used that word with that supercilious tone! “Seems like attorneys mostly work on contingency.”

Ken had been taken aback a little by her statement but realized he probably shouldn’t have been; money was always her first goal. “Probably.”

“It’s settled, then. We’ll move to L.A. and you’ll become Plastic Surgeon to the Stars!”

Her family had no problem agreeing to support them in their new venture, even though they would be living much father away. Financial assistance turned out to be unnecessary, however, after Van became a model and found her face on the covers of several national magazines. In addition, she began to dominate fashion show runways, commanding huge fees. 

Hutchinson shifted his position and shuddered, remembering a conversation he’d overheard one day between Van and her agent/manager on the set of a photo shoot.

“Keep that exquisite face and figure, Vanessa, and we’ll both be set for life!” Myron Gillum put his hands on her shoulders as she sat in front of the vanity’s mirror. “That means no pregnancies, you know.”

She shot visual daggers at his reflection. “What do you take me for, a fool? Of course I know.”

“Doesn’t your husband wanted children? I thought he did.”

“I don’t really care what he wants, Myron. It’s my body!” She stood up, towering over his five-foot-nothing. “Now, tell me about this soiree tonight. What should I wear?”

Hutchinson’s studies allowed him almost no time to accompany his wife to the premiers, parties and ‘weekends,’ she loved to attend, and she didn’t seem to mind going by herself. Somewhat guiltily, Ken found he absorbed much more of all he had to learn when she wasn’t around. It was when she returned, whether after a single evening or several days, that he had to tune out her hours of babbling about all the fascinating and powerful people she was meeting. The sex they still shared was almost enough to make him think he had a good marriage. Almost. He had taken his vows seriously and hoped that she had, as well.

Ken put his memories aside and straightened up. Her threat of seeking an attorney had actually settled his stomach and he nearly smiled. “Enjoy Hawaii.”

When he turned away from her, she spun on her stool and nailed him with an icy glare. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“One of my friends at school has offered me his cabin in the mountains. He says it’s a great place to… get away from it all… and think.”

She swiveled back to her preparations. “Well, you’d just better consider what I said very carefully, Kenneth. Neither set of our parents will be pleased if you throw everything away. Again.”

*******

Ken’s dusty, battered car - he sometimes wondered if his refusal to drive something more impressive was a reaction to his disapproval of the luxurious import Van drove - made it to his friend’s place just fine, thank you very much. It would need an oil change and probably new shocks when he got back, but it got him up here.

The cabin, itself, was nothing to write home about, but it offered peace, quiet and, above all, solitude, which was what Ken Hutchinson craved at the moment. He unpacked his two small bags and the groceries he’d bought at the Mom & Pop store in the last town he’d passed through. Linens, towels, one sauce pan and a frying pan, plus Corning Ware dishes, plain glasses, and stainless steel cutlery made up the abode’s amenities. Ken was a minimalist at heart anyway and knew he wouldn’t need anything more. 

He ran the water in the kitchen sink for a minute and as soon as the rusty color disappeared, he splashed his face, cupped his hands, and slurped a mouthful. Surprised, he found a tall glass in the cupboard, filled it, and drank every drop. “Wow! Your family should bottle this stuff, Ralph! They’d make a fortune.”

After a few minutes of wandering into and out of the several rooms, Ken knew the decision to come here had been the right one. He could already feel his tension levels lowering. “This’ll do,” he decided, gazing out the window at the enfolding forest. “But I already miss my plants.” Shaking his head at the silliness of what he’d just said, he wandered into the kitchen. “Here I am, surrounded by Mother Nature at Her best, and I’m mooning over a fichus and a few Boston ferns.”

The first day, he did nothing except sit in the Adirondack chair on the tiny back porch and enjoy the best tasting coffee he could remember. He stared into his cup, a little perplexed. “I bought the same brand I always do. Hmmmm, must be the water.” He ‘toasted’ his absent friend and savored the next swallow.

“Hello, birds,” he greeted his chirping and warbling neighbors, while enjoying the sweet sound of the breeze in the overhead pine boughs. It was as close to heaven as Ken thought he might ever get and he wasn’t about to allow his unraveling career choices and unsettled marriage to interfere.

Having cleaned up his breakfast dishes shortly after sunrise the following morning, he grew restless. Shouldering his backpack, which contained a hastily-made sandwich, a bag of chips, a Thermos of coffee and a canteen of the delicious water, plus an extra jacket in case it got chilly higher up the mountain, he found a trail at the rear of the property and followed it uphill. The easy slope steepened and soon he was glad, not only that he’d put on his hiking boots, but had grabbed the walking stick from the umbrella stand next to the front door. 

“Damn,’ he said to a squirrel that skittered across the path in front of him. “I guess my trail skills and stamina have atrophied.” He forced himself to pick up the pace. “Doesn’t mean I can’t get them back while I’m here. Onward, Hutchinson!” 

Coming out into a clearing on top of a knoll an hour or so later, he climbed onto the large boulder that appeared to be anchoring the entire hillside and gazed around at the spectacular view. A forest of hardwoods and evergreens stretched out below him in a swath that lost itself in the distance. Behind, the trees were dense, with little undergrowth, and he determined that, after a rest, he’d hike the rest of the trail, as high as it went.

He pulled his feet onto the rock, sank his chin on his knees, and encircled his shins with his arms. Basking in the sunshine and peace, he let out a long, satisfied sigh. “Boy, would I love to stay here for about ten years!”

“I’m afraid you can’t, sir.”

Ken spun around so quickly he nearly fell off the boulder, catching and righting himself only after an embarrassing flurry of arms and legs. 

The young woman who’d said the words appeared contrite. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” She put out a hand to steady him when he slid off his perch.

He did his best to regain his usual aplomb. “I never heard you. You must walk like a cat, and I wouldn’t have thought that was possible with all the leaf litter and twigs around.”

She laughed; it was a merry sound. “Practice.”

Hutchinson realized he hadn’t heard anyone laugh, without affectation, in quite a long time. He held out his hand. “Ken Hutchinson.”

She took it in a firm grip. “Shelly Forsythe, district ranger.” Her smile showed dimples, taking any meanness out of the next words. “It’s Forest Service land. You can’t live here.” With her free hand, she gestured downhill. “There are a few grandfathered in-holdings below but from here to the top is Federal property.” She gave him a rueful smile. “Sorry.”

“Ah, that’s too bad.” Ken released her hand, noticing her uniform and shoulder patch for the first time. She was petite, athletically slender, and appeared to be in her mid-twenties, possibly a year or two younger than himself. Her curly brown hair was so short it barely peeked out from under her Smokey Bear hat. Her eyes were a soft hazel and her smile was full, without a hint of lipstick or guile. 

While he assessed her, she appeared to be doing the same with him and he attempted to deflect her appraisal. “I’ll bet the fire danger’s pretty high around here.”

“It is when the season’s been as dry as it has lately.” She pointed over her shoulder. “I saw you coming up the trail from my observation post.”

Hutchinson followed the direction of her gesture and noticed the top of a lookout tower farther up the hill, a glass-walled structure held up by steel supports and x-beams. A fragile-looking ladder attached to one corner column would give access to a narrow walkway that rimmed the outside.

“Have a pretty good view from up there, do you?” he asked.

“Would you like to see?”

That surprised him. “Am I allowed? I mean, I’m a civilian. I wouldn’t want to get you in any trouble.”

She waved off his concern. “As long as you don’t damage any of the equipment…” she looked him up and down, making him fight down a blush, “and you don’t appear to be the damaging type, no one will care. No one will even know.”

He held his hand out toward the path. “By all mean, then, I’d love to see the country from that height.”

She strode purposefully along the trail and Ken had just a little trouble keeping up with her. By the time she reached the ladder and started to climb, he was slightly out of breath. Waiting until she stepped onto the catwalk, he drew in a deep lungful of the clean, clear air, and followed her.

The treads weren’t wide enough for two people to walk side by side, so she led the way around the station and the view in all directions spoke for itself. Ken was glad she didn’t find it necessary to describe the wonders out loud; silence added to the splendor. When they returned to their starting point, she leaned her elbows on the railing. 

He matched her pose. “Is speaking allowed in this cathedral?” he whispered.

She didn’t look at him but her profile smiled. “To those who respect it as such, yes, indeed.” She straightened up and turned to face him while he did the same. “I thought you might be someone who would appreciate it.”

“Absolutely!” Hutchinson looked out at the sparkling view again. “You are one lucky lady.”

That brought more happy laughter as she went to the single door into the structure, unlocked a dead bolt, and led the way inside. The space was small, no more than eight by eight, and much of the center was taken up by a square table piled with topographical maps. 

Shelly took her hat off and hung it on a nearby hook before she opened the door of a small refrigerator below the table and took out a big pitcher of water. Pulling two mugs off cup hooks on the molding between windows, she handed one to Ken and filled them both. “To our mutual love of the outdoors.” She clicked her cup lightly against his and drained it. “It’s dry up here, keeping hydrated is important.”

Ken took a swallow and grinned. “I thought the water at the Nelson cabin was the best I’d ever had, but this is even better!” He finished his and she refilled them both.

“The stream you crossed a couple of times on your way up has it’s source about half a mile above here. It’s the freshest, purest water you’ll ever taste.” She finished hers and put the mug on top of the maps. “You probably didn’t notice it, but there’s a spigot next to the tower’s west column. The people who built this place ran a pipe from that stream. I don’t have to haul water every day.”

“Doesn’t it freeze in the winter?”

“Hasn’t, so far. The pipe’s down pretty deep but…” She shrugged as if unconcerned. “Who knows? If we finish this pitcher, I’ll demonstrate the lift I installed at the corner of the catwalk above the spigot. Had to figure out how to get the water up here without spilling any, or dropping my pitcher.” She lifted a shoulder in a half-shrug. “It’s crude, but it works.”

He studied the room again. “Did you say you’re here every day?”

“Yep. I was raised close by and specifically asked for this station. I’m here between sunrise and sunset.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Don’t you need a break sometimes?” 

“They have rules about how often I’m required to take a day off, but I skirt them whenever I can. Charlie, my trainee, feels like I insist on being the observer entirely too much of the time. I’d live here if I could.”

Hutchinson took a single step to the closest window and marveled at the view again. “I can understand that.” Turning, he caught her staring at him. “What?”

She blushed slightly and looked away. “You’re the only man I’ve ever met who does.” She gestured to a high swivel chair in the corner. “Sit for a spell while I do my job.”

He did as she directed and watched, fascinated, as she took a pair of powerful binoculars off the table, hung the strap around her neck, put the lenses to her eyes, and moved very slowly around the confined space. Her concentration seemed to be absolute during her study of every visible acre of the forest entrusted to her. She never spoke and Ken didn’t interrupt her routine. 

After she had completed an entire circuit twice, she moved to a cabinet next to the door. When she dropped the front panel, what Ken assumed was a radio was revealed; one that looked as if it was straight out of a World War Two movie. She threw a switch on the unit and static filled the room. Lifting the old-style microphone, she keyed a button on the post. “Station Twelve to base.”

“Go ahead, Shelly,” a man’s voice on the other end of the radio replied.

“All clear at oh nine hundred.”

“Thanks, kid. Pretty up there today, right?”

“The prettiest, Andy. Sorry you’re stuck in town.”

“It’s where I want to be, kiddo, you know that. Won’t catch me volunteerin’ to crawl up and down that mountain ever again!”

She chuckled. “I do know, and I’m grateful. Otherwise, I might be looking for work.”

“Not in this lifetime, Shel. Talk to you in an hour.” Andy clicked off.

She shut the unit down, closed the front, and turned to Hutchinson. “Our equipment isn’t the newest, but our people make up for it.” She gestured toward the now-hidden radio. “Andy’s the best forest ranger I’ve ever known. Taught me everything about this job and has watched over me since my folks died.”

Hutchinson didn’t want to pry but he was curious. “What happened?”

She put the binocs to her eyes again and stared out at the mountain. This time, though, while she made her rounds, she talked. “Dad was a smoke jumper who tried to fight one too many fires. And mom only lasted six months after that.” 

“I’m sorry.” Ken knew it sounded lame but he couldn’t think of anything else to say. 

She didn’t take the glasses from her eyes. “Thanks. It was years ago and, although his was a bad way to die, I know he was doing what he loved. Mom just couldn’t live without him.”

He was glad she didn’t appear to be the kind of flighty female Vanessa always seemed to hang around with. This was a woman who had her feet firmly on the ground; at least when she wasn’t up here in her aerie. He drank the rest of his water and gestured around with the empty cup. “You said you’d live here if you could. Obviously, you can’t, so where do you live? If you don’t mind my asking.”

She shook her head. “I don’t mind. I live in the house I was born in. It’s outside the small town you undoubtedly drove through. Except in the worst weather, I walk the three miles, each way.” 

“No wonder you put me to shame when you led me here.”

She chuckled. “I watched you, whenever I could see the trail through the trees. You look as if you’re out of practice but you hike well, with good concentration and no wasted effort. You never put a foot wrong, that I saw.”

For some reason, her praise made him feel terrific and he became even more determined to make use of the trails before he went back to the city.

She pointedly gazed at his left hand. “I notice that you wear a wedding ring. Does that mean what it usually does?”

Feeling all sorts of emotions he couldn’t even begin to articulate, Ken dropped his eyes to the elaborately engraved, diamond-studded gold band Van had picked out for him, twisting it around his finger. “Yes, I’m afraid it does.”

“‘Afraid’?”

Instead of the sarcasm or accusation he expected to hear in her voice, her expression, when he looked up, was open and gentle, as if she really did want to hear his explanation.

“Vanessa… that’s my wife…”

She smiled gently. “I figured as much.”

“Well…” Ken began again, “she’s a fashion model and, before I left L.A. two days ago, I told her I’ve almost decided to drop out of med-school.”

Shelly leaned back against the chart table. “She didn’t approve?”

“Understatement.” He got up and, careful not to walk too close as he stalked around the perimeter of the room, he allowed himself to vent the ill feelings Van had engendered in him during their most recent exchange. “She’s been supporting me for close to two years, always using any opportunity to remind me that I should be eternally grateful.” 

He checked to see if he could tell whether or not she was taking the female side of things, but her face was completely neutral, so he continued, a bit more softly. “She never made a secret of the fact that she expected me, eventually, to be able to provide for her in the manner in which she was raised. That is to say, she got anything she wanted whenever she wanted it.”

He stopped at the chair again and sat down. “I don’t mean to make her sound like an awful person. Obviously, we’re both to blame for the mess we seem to have made of our lives. Each of us is from a wealthy family so neither of us has known what it’s like to be poor. I guess I just figured she’d be happy with whatever I could do that would keep a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs, and food on the table.”

“But…?” she encouraged.

He shook his head sadly. “Guess I was wrong.” Without conscious thought, he began to turn the ostentatious ring again. “She’s off in Hawaii for a three-week photo shoot for Vogue. The last thing she said to me, after I told her I was probably going to quit med school, was that, if I did, she’d find a divorce attorney.”

“Empty threat?” 

“Maybe.” Against his will, a sigh escaped. “Probably not, though.”

“I’m sorry.” She leaned forward and put a hand on his clasped ones. “I didn’t mean to force you to talk about your personal life. It’s none of my business.” She busied herself with the binoculars again. “Forget I asked.”

“No, I’m glad you did.” When she turned around, clearly surprised, he went on. “I think I came up to the Nelson’s cabin to give myself time to figure out whether or not I had the courage to go ahead and quit.”

“And do you?”

“Yes. And, please don’t laugh, but during the drive up here, I’m pretty sure I decided what I’m going to do afterward.”

“I won’t laugh. I promise.”

“The Bay City police department.” Ken expected her face to show disbelief or amusement but it remained placid and she didn’t say a word. “It’s just south of L.A., and their academy has issued a call for recruits for it’s Fall session. I’ll finish out the year at UCLA but, after that, I’m going to apply.” 

She leaned toward him and lightly kissed his cheek. “If Vanessa doesn’t like it, and you end up without that ring, look me up, Ken.”

As if suddenly realizing how brazen she’d been, she made another circuit of the windows, pointedly refusing to make eye contact with him, before firing up the radio and checking in at ten o’clock. 

Hutchinson sat on his stool and contemplated the most fascinating woman he had met in… well, a very, very long time.

*******

A couple of hours passed quickly and they realized they were hungry. Shelly unpacked the lunch she’d brought, Ken dug out the sandwich he had made for himself that morning, and they shared. When he pulled out the bag of chips, she cocked her head, sassily. “‘Bet you can’t eat just one’.”

He laughed, tore open the bag, and offered the open end to her. “I don’t usually eat potato chips but, when I saw these in the store, something made me buy them.” 

She reached in and came out with a handful. “I don’t allow myself to have them in the house ‘cause I never _can_ eat just one!”

Golden Delicious apples that came from a tree in her yard rounded out the meal. No more was said of his marital problems or her veiled proposition. She kept him enthralled, impressed, and saddened at various points, with stories of her father’s exploits before his fatal jump, and her mother’s stoic refusal to blame his dangerous profession, until she’d died, too.

For his part, Ken kept her laughing with tales of his less-than-stellar forays into the halls of graduate level law school and then his nearly two years of bookish learning in pre-med. 

“You mean it’s all reading?” She seemed surprised that he hadn’t already had his hands deeply into someone’s chest cavity.

He nodded. “Mostly. There’s an awful lot we have to know, and a great many tests we have to pass, before they’ll trust us around an actual patient. Or even a cadaver. Although I understand those will be coming soon.”

“I suppose that makes sense.” She folded the wax paper from her lunch and stowed it in her brown paper bag. “And now I know why it takes so long to become a doctor!”

He put what was left of his meal in his backpack. “And why doctors feel they have a right to charge the sometimes egregious fees they do.” 

Beginning yet another observation circuit, she spoke without taking her eyes from the glasses. “You’ll be a really great cop, Officer Hutchinson.”

“Oh yeah? What makes you think so?”

“You care!” Turning around, she leaned against the window sill. “Just in the few short hours we’ve spent together, I can tell you really do want to make a difference in the world. To help people.”

Hutchinson absorbed that and nodded. “You’re right. I really do.”

“Then fuck Vanessa! And the horse she rode in on!” 

Ken was shocked by her use of the ‘f’ word but, after only a second’s look at her determined face, he burst out laughing. “I think you mean that, Shelly.”

“You bet I do!” She turned back to her survey of the landscape. “And if you want to bring her around sometime, I’ll say the same thing right to her perfectly-made-up face!”

Ken laughed again. “I don’t think I could get her up here, even with the promise of a Cosmo cover.”

“Her loss.” 

*******

During one of Shelly’s ‘rounds,’ she seemed to remember something and pointed down to the southeast. Ken joined her at the window and noticed a rustic outhouse nestled in the trees next to the fire road. “Visit our luxurious facilities whenever you need, Ken. A sanitation truck comes once a month and pumps it out. Lots of hikers make use of it during the busy season.” 

The afternoon passed more quickly than Ken would have believed possible. As the sun dipped below the horizon, she faced him and he could tell she was nervous. “I know you’re a married man and all but…would you like to come for dinner?”

Ken realized he was possibly more nervous than she was. “I was hoping you’d ask.” 

He helped her put the tower in order, then preceded her down the ladder while she locked the door. They walked the tree miles down the service road to a small log cabin. 

There was an ‘everything’ room with a couch, two arm chairs, and necessary tables. A kitchen ran along the back wall and a square dining table with four mismatched chairs sat in more or less the center of the space. A sleeping loft nestled under the roof on the west side. “That was my first aerie, until my folks died.” 

A bedroom and bath were the two rooms on the east side. She appeared embarrassed as she stood near the dining table and gestured around. “It’s not much but it’s all I need.”

Ken didn’t have to fake his reaction. “It’s wonderful!”

She fixed him a meal of stir-fried zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, onions and potatoes - all from the large garden at the side of the house - with tofu and cashews from the Mom and Pop market in town. In addition, there was a salad made from lettuce, tomatoes, red and green peppers, and cucumbers, also from the garden. It was one of the best dinners Hutchinson could ever remember eating. 

Afterward, they sat on the porch, drinking tea, without speaking. When she took his hand he knew he had his cue and cleared his throat. “I don’t expect you to believe me, but I’ve never been unfaithful to Van.”

She squeezed his fingers. “I do believe you. You’re not the kind who cheats. And I’m almost sorry that I’m being the one to tempt you.”

The moonlight didn’t do much to let him see her face but he thought, no, he hoped she was smiling. “Almost sorry?”

“Almost.”

Standing up, he pulled her to her feet; they moved inside, through the main room and into the bedroom. 

Hutchinson couldn’t remember a time when he’d taken such care undressing a woman but he was loathe to hurry anything with Shelly. Her small, perky breasts drew his hands and he recalled something one of his college roommates had said: “More than a mouthful’s wasted, Kenny Boy.” Freddy had said it coarsely but, with his right hand cupped gently around Shelly’s left breast, Ken realized it was true. He bent and drew almost the entire mound of firm flesh into his mouth. 

She gasped and threaded her fingers into his hair. The areola under his tongue erupted in gooseflesh and the bud hardened, letting him know he was pleasuring a woman who clearly desired his touch. 

Hutchinson couldn’t recall ever feeling quite so wanted but he deliberately delayed any further contact. He stepped back and scanned her lovely body from the top of her curly-haired head to the tips of her unpainted toes. She was beautiful and he noticed that his appraisal caused her flawless skin to flush delicately.

“Enough!” she shrieked. “You’ll wear out the merchandise without ever touching it.” Stepping forward, she reached for the buttons of his shirt. “My turn.”

A sudden thought caused him to put his hands over hers and stop her. When she looked up, startled, he held her gaze. “I didn’t bring protection.”

It took only a moment for her to realize what he meant and she smiled. “I had a physical only last month, Ken, and got clean bill of health. You won’t catch anything from me. I guarantee it!”

He found himself chuckling. “I don’t believe in coincidence, but so did I. And I can make the same promise, although I didn’t bring the doctor’s report with me.” He held her hands tightly. “That’s not what I meant, though.”

She brightened. “Oh, that’s okay, too. I’ve been taking birth control pills for years; they cut way down on the debilitating cramps I used to have.” Still holding his hands, she moved half a step away and scanned his lean body. “You certainly look healthy to me, so I won’t mind about the… lack of protection, if you don’t.”

“Deal.” Standing rigidly, Ken uncovered her hands and allowed her to disrobe him slowly, beginning with his flannel shirt and t-shirt. She knelt and untied his boots, holding the heels so that he could step out of them, then rolled his socks down and off his feet. Each item was folded and set aside carefully. Finally, when she unbuckled his belt, unsnapped and unzipped his pants, he knew he wouldn’t be able to disguise what her fingers were doing to him; he was already painfully hard.

A smile of what appeared to be genuine anticipation broke over her flushed face as she pushed his shorts down, leaving them puddled around his feet. With her eyes riveted on his erection, she didn’t seem capable of helping further. 

Ken stepped away from his briefs, led her to the bed and laid down next to her. He had no idea how experienced she was and, when she took him in her hand, he could tell she was nervous. “Shhhhh. We can go as fast, or as slow, as you want.” Lifting her chin, he stared deeply into her eyes. “We don’t even have to do anything at all, if you don’t want to.”

Her hand squeezed him lightly. “You mean to say you could go to sleep with this thing throbbing and oozing the way it is?” Her tone was teasing but he could hear the underlying anxiety.

With difficulty, he kept his expression bland. “I’ve done it before.”

She threw her arm around his shoulders and flung one leg over his hips. “No. I think I knew, from the first moment I saw you on the trail, that you’d be like no one I’ve ever known. You won’t be here long, Ken, I know that, and I want us to share every moment we can together.” She leaned back a little and looked at him. “I’m not a virgin, but I haven’t had enough practice to be very good. I haven’t been with a man in… well, in a long time.”

Ken kissed the tip of her nose, then each cheek, before gently taking her mouth with his. He deepened the kiss gradually until she willingly accepted his questing tongue. After that, he let her set the pace and, before too long, she had opened her thighs and guided his manhood into her wet warmth.

He didn’t want to bring even the thought of his wife into this bed but he realized that Vanessa was never anything but a cock tease and her love-making was always performed, never really felt. Shelly was showing him what making love was truly all about. 

*******

Except for the one afternoon that Ken hiked down to Ralph’s cabin to get his car, then drove into the town for provisions, they spent almost every moment together and Ken didn’t think he’d ever been happier.

They walked to her tower each day before sunrise and home after sunset, and Hutchinson could feel his body getting stronger as his lungs enjoyed every breath of the incredibly fresh air. 

At the end of the first week, it began raining at noon and they were soaked by the time they got to her house that evening. Standing at the window in her bedroom the next morning, while it was still dark, she leaned back against him, his arms around her waist, her hands covering his. “God, Ken, this is exactly what we’ve needed. A steady, not-too-hard rain that’s soaking in, rather than causing floods. Or erosion. I hope it keeps up for days!”

She contacted Andy via the radio in the corner of the living room that might have been a twin to the relic in the station. “With this rain, Charlie can cover for me today, can’t he?”

“You feelin’ poorly, Shel? You need anything?”

“I’m fine, Andy. Really! I’d just like to stay home and enjoy this respite from the drought.”

“Know what you mean, kid.”

“What about Charlie, though? Do you think he’s had enough experience to be on his own up there?”

“Shelly, with all the rain we’ve had since yesterday, and what’s predicted for the next two days, I doubt a fire could even get started right now. There’s been no lightning, thankfully.”

“That’s what I thought. So, unless I hear otherwise, I’ll stay hunkered down until it stops, okay?”

“Believe me, kid, Charlie’s going to hope it never quits!” He clicked off.

She shut down, closed the cabinet, and went straight into Ken’s arms.

*******

They made their muddy way down to the Nelson’s cabin on the third rainy day and spent that night in the slightly larger accommodations.

Ken used every one of his amorous skills to raise her levels of pleasure and she was a more than apt pupil in learning what pleased him and set his heart soaring. Being in the bosom of Nature, surrounded by the quiet, loving presence of Shelly Forsythe, Ken Hutchinson revised his thoughts about what Heaven might be. 

On their final night together she made him the best dinner yet: rabbit stew. “They’d ravage my garden if I didn’t cull them.” When he gave her a mock-horrified look, she went on quickly. “So I keep them appeased with their own cabbage and carrot patch outside my fence, and reduce their numbers once in a while with a very humane trap. Besides…” She gestured to the throw that covered the back of her couch; it was made of rabbit hides. “That makes a really warm bedspread in winter.”

He jumped up from the table, grabbed the stitched-together skins and bundled her in it. Picking her up, he carried her to the bedroom where he laid her, still wrapped snugly in the softness, on top of the covers. He stretched out beside her. 

She reached a hand to his cheek. “Don’t be sad, Ken. You’re going to be a great addition to the Bay City Police Department. I expect to hear about Chief Hutchinson in the not-too-distant future.”

He kissed the palm of her hand. “I wish I could stay, Shel.”

“No, you don’t. You love it up here and I’m really glad, but you don’t belong. You have to be where you can do some good, taking bad guys off the street and helping their victims.” She kissed him. “Even more than you might have been a good lawyer or a great doctor, you’re going to be a fantastic cop! The police academy is going to change your life!”

He made love with her that night, his heart heavier but more joyous, than it had ever been.


	2. Chapter 2

Fall, 1969 - Summer, 1983, Bay City, California

 

For some unfathomable reason, Vanessa didn’t divorce Ken. She wasn’t very happy with his decision to apply to the police academy but her three weeks in Hawaii had been so successful she allowed herself to be talked into giving him one final opportunity to earn her respect.

“Your father will probably console himself with the thought that you might, one day, be Chief Hutchinson,” she told him, snidely. “But just remember, Kenneth, this is your very last chance with me.”

The first day at the Bay City Police Academy did change Ken Hutchinson’s life, just as Shelly had predicted it would, because that’s the day he met Dave Starsky. The Brooklyn-born Vietnam vet was everything Ken wasn’t: cocky, self-assured, quick-tempered but easily appeased and never a grudge-holder, who was completely at home on the firing range and in hand-to-hand training, but out of his element in the classroom. 

Hutchinson was the opposite: shy, inexplicably clumsy on the mats, timid, at first, with firearms, but excellent at studying for, and acing written tests. 

Without knowing why, Ken was drawn to the brash New Yorker and Starsky appeared to welcome the friendship. 

“I’ll help with the guns part, Hutch, and on the mats,” Starsky said. “You can help me with the books.”

Ken took a second to think about the ‘Hutch,’ but, almost immediately, he realized it suited the new Kenneth Hutchinson. “That’ll work, Starsk. Thanks!”

The crooked smile Starsky bestowed on him said he liked his nickname, too.

They roomed together after John Colby left for greener pastures and, as a team, they were unbeatable and at the top of their class. Their instructors all predicted great things from them, once they became partners, as everyone believed they would.

“Partners, right Hutch?” Walking away from the graduation ceremony, Starsky threw his arm around Hutch’s shoulders.

“Just as soon as we can, buddy.”

Two years in uniform under Training Officers were required before the brass paired them, then a few more years of street patrol were added. Passing their detective exams unexpectedly early in their careers, they were chosen by Captain Harold Dobey for his new Zebra Units, and what was to become the legendary Zebra Three was born.

*******

“We’re done, Kenneth.” Vanessa met Hutch with the pronouncement one morning when he staggered in from the grueling bust of a suspected drug dealer that had taken all night. “I’ve filed for divorce. I tried using that disgusting partner of yours as grounds, telling my attorney that he’s come between us, but Gil told me that wouldn’t be a good idea.” She gestured toward two suitcases by the door. “I’ve packed most of your clothes. You can come back when I’m not here to collect the rest of your stuff. If you take a single thing of mine though, I’ll come after you!”

Sad, not surprised, Hutch bent and picked up the bags. “Have the papers delivered to Metro. I’ll sign them immediately.” Without a backward glance, he left.

“And don’t expect alimony!” followed him to the elevator, before the door was slammed.

That night, at Starsky’s apartment, Hutch was pretty sure his best friend deliberately got him drunk. 

“Shit, Hutch, I’ll be a more faithful partner than Van ever was!”

Hutch patted the stubbly cheek. “I know you will. I love you.”

Starsky handed him another beer. “‘Course ya do, Blondie. I love you, too.”

*******

Like the majority of cop work, most of their cases were ordinary. However, they had what seemed to be more than their share of important ones, resulting in headlines and notoriety. A few of their colleagues grumbled about ‘prima donnas,’ but Starsky and Hutch didn’t let it bother them. 

“Fuck ‘em if they can’t take a joke, Hutch.”

Unfortunately, James Marshall Gunther turned out to have no sense of humor. Without realizing it, Starsky and Hutch had acquired the powerful man’s enmity and his assassins nearly accomplished what no one had to that point: destroy the unbreakable duo. Starsky overcame bullets and dying, infections and complications, while Hutch put together the proverbial air-tight case against their antagonist. 

And, while Starsky was recovering - with his partner’s unfailing support and encouragement - and Hutch labored to construct the case against Gunther, they realized the love they’d always shared had deepened. With many unspoken desires misinterpreted and a myriad of opportunities wasted, they finally talked it out the day Starsky was released from the hospital. Admitting their true feelings, they became lovers that same night. 

“We should buy a little house, Starsk.” When his partner blinked and opened his mouth, probably to object, Hutch hurried on. “Paying two rents is going to kill us.”

“Especially with all the medical bills my insurance isn’t going to cover.”

“Don’t worry about that part. I told you, it won’t be a problem.”

“Hutch, I don’t want you to -”

“Shut up, Starsky.” Hutch covered his lover’s mouth with a gentle hand. “We’ve been over this before; it’s my money, and that’s the end of it.”

“A loan, Hutch. I’ll pay you back.” Hutch kissed him but Starsky wasn’t quite finished. “What are people gonna say, though? About us moving in together.”

Hutch ruffled the dense curly hair. “We’ve got the perfect excuse, don’t you think? How can I take care of you during your recovery if I’m not living with you? By the time you’re back on your feet, nobody will notice when I don’t move out.”

Starsky turned onto his side, mindful of the incisions that still pulled, and wiggled his ass back into Hutch’s crotch. “You think so?”

Hutch nuzzled Starsky’s neck. “Trust me, babe.”

And, true to Hutch’s prediction, no one in the department said a word, probably having gotten used to the pair’s closer-than-usual-partnership over the years.

*******

With Starsky in the courtroom, wearing his against-all-odds-fully-re-instated dress blues, Hutch leaned against the uniformed shoulder, holding his breath. 

“Guilty,” the foreman said six times, in response to the reading of each charge, and Hutch exhaled after the last verdict. 

“He’ll get life without parole, don’t you think?” Starsky whispered, while reporters hurried out to file their stories.

“That’s for later, Starsk. Let’s enjoy what they’ve given us today.” He sat where he was, reveling in Starsky’s being alive and right next to him.

“Believe me, I am! And now we can start lookin’ for our next big case.” With an impish grin on his face, the likes of which Hutch hadn’t seen since before the shooting, Starsky got up and crawled across Hutch’s legs. “Come on, Blintz! We’ve got work to do!”

*******

Without a college degree though, Starsky seemed to have reached his limit as a Detective Sergeant until the Martinez operation in Florida.* 

“The commission can’t back down now, Hutch,” Starsky said during their final flight back to Bay City from Miami. “They promised!”

“We’ll hope so,” was all Hutch could bring himself to say. He’d seen too much in their careers to put his hard-shell cynicism away for good.

With news of the Martinez conviction firmly in hand, Dobey corralled the top people on the commission. “You guys said -”

“We never actually promised, Harold,” an officious grey-haired member interrupted.

“You did the next best thing, George,” Dobey pointed out. “You specifically implied, and I’m holding you to it.”

Under Dobey’s baleful glare, the commission granted Starsky the right to take the Lieutenant’s exam when Hutch did. 

“Of course it’s possible he won’t pass,” George whispered to a colleague.

The examination, taken with five other detectives, covered two days; the first one entirely written, the second, requiring practical applications of knowledge and skills. They passed with flying colors to George’s chagrin and Dobey’s proud congratulations.

When Starsky walked across the stage, Hutch was afraid Dobey might just pop the buttons on his vest, his chest was puffed out so far. With his own bright, shiny bars already on his collar, Hutch waited patiently behind the chief while his partner, and two other detectives, received the sign of their new rank and a firm handshake. If Hutch had been wearing a vest he might have popped his buttons, too, from the pride he had in his best friend. 

*******

Euphoria lasted one whole day, until Hutch was called into the Chief’s office and informed that he’d be assigned to a new precinct. “What?” He jumped to his feet and backed away from the imposing desk. “No, sir! You told us you’d find something Starsky and I could do together.”

Probably having heard Hutch’s raised voice, Starsky opened the door, without knocking, and came in. “What’s going on, Hutch? Sir?”

Hutch rounded on him. “They want to break us up, Starsk. Assign us to different precincts.”

Starsky bristled like an angry pit bull. “No way! We’ll quit before we let that happen! Sir!”

*******

Weeks of meetings with the Chief, various Captains, and the commission ensued, until Starsky and Hutch came up with the idea for a Cold Case Unit.

“We’ve got all kinds of new technologies coming along,” Starsky told his unconvinced listeners, “and it’s great for closing cases. But nobody’s using it to investigate unsolveds. Why can’t Hutch and I take all those forgotten files and see if the tech stuff will help us close ‘em?”

“Do you really think you and your partner are capable of that, Lieutenant?” This came from a stuffy member of the commission who had balked at every step of their promotions.

Hutch knew Starsky was chewing nails but good sense, and a calming hand on his knee under the table from Hutch, allowed him to smile. “We’ll never know until we try. Will we, Commissioner?” Starsky asked, sweetly.

Hutch didn’t say a word, he just sat in his chair and gloried at the approval his partner was gathering from all those who never thought Starsky would make it back from his ordeal. Hutch caught Starsky’s eye and sent a silent, _Atta boy, babe._

*******

“I almost feel like a new recruit, Hutch. Don’t you?” They had just moved into the office next to R&I that had been cleared for them. Two desks and chairs had been unearthed from storage and phones were being connected even as Starsky spoke. 

A knock came on the door a moment before Minnie Kaplan entered, bearing a stack of file folders. She grinned and dropped them on the desks. “You asked for it, fellas.”

“If I didn’t know better, _Sergeant_ Kaplan…” Starsky had a gleam in his eye. “I’d say you’re enjoying this entirely too much.”

She beamed at him. “I know you put in more than a few good words for me, Starsky.” She transferred her happiness to Hutch. “You, too, Hutch. And I’m grateful. I’d probably still be waiting for this promotion if you two hadn’t given me your support.”

“Don’t forget, Minnie,” Starsky said. “Dobey brought his considerable weight to bear, too.”

She chuckled. “That’s right, he did. But I’ve already thanked him.” She gestured to the folders. “This is the thanks you get from me!” She turned and opened the door before looking back at them over her shoulder. “I and my computers are right next door, guys. Let’s solve some cold ones!”

Hutch’s bemusement lasted for a few seconds after she left, before he could get himself back on track. “If you meant have I broken out of my slump and think we can make a difference again? You bet, partner!”

Starsky pulled his chair out, perched on the back and picked up a folder. “Well, let’s get started!”

*******

September, 1983, Bay City, California

 

Hutch knew it took Starsky some time, after they returned from Washington, D.C.,+ for him to get fully back into their new unit’s cold-caseload . The emptiness Starsky felt after finding Tran Binh, discovering that he had fathered a daughter, only to lose them both, weighed heavily on him. Hutch knew him well enough to leave him alone when he needed solitude, and to love him to exhaustion when he needed that instead. 

After they turned one particularly difficult arrest over to the D.A., Hutch had an inspiration. Leaving work a little early, he dropped Starsky at the house and went shopping. When he got home, he banned his partner from the kitchen while he spent a couple of hours cooking.

Starsky peeked around the corner, sniffing. “Whatcha makin’?” 

Hutch shooed him away. “It’s a surprise.”

When dinner was finally served, Starsky affected suspiciousness but his first taste brought a grin to his expressive face. “What’s this?”

Hutch felt a surge of love and appreciation. “Rabbit stew.”

Starsky dropped his second forkful back into the bowl. “Where in the world did you find rabbit?”

Hutch dug into the meal he’d made as exactly like his final dinner with Shelly as he could. “There’s a market over on Fourth that specializes in what they call exotic meats. They’ve got bison, elk, venison and… rabbit.”

Starsky gobbled for a while before coming up for air. “This is terrific! Where’d you get the recipe?” 

“A friend of mine made it for me, years ago.”

They ate in companionable silence until their plates were clean. While doing the dishes side by side, Hutch cleared his throat. “I’ve been thinking…”

“Uh oh, that’s never good.” 

Hutch nudged his partner none-too-gently in the side before hanging up his towel. Digging two beers out of the fridge and uncapping them, he led the way into the living room, sat on one end of the couch and held out his arm. 

Starsky sank down and nestled. “Okay, whatcha been thinkin’ about?”

“If you hadn’t been wounded in body and soul when you came back from Vietnam, you might have stayed in the army; not gone to the academy. We’d never have met.”

Starsky sat up and looked at him for a few moments. “That’s a scary thought.”

Hutch drew him back into his arms before taking a swallow of beer. “I had something happen to me the same year that pointed me toward the academy, too. Let’s ask for a couple of days off next week so I can take you there. Maybe even introduce you to the person involved.”

“The one who made you the rabbit stew?”

“Yes.”

“Sounds good. What kind of clothes do I pack?”

“Layers, Starsk. It’ll be cooler in the mountains.”

Starsky stiffened. “‘Mountains’?”

“Relatively low elevation, easy trails. No strenuous stuff.”

Starsky huffed. “I’m healed, buddy! Back to pre-Gunther condition. I can go anywhere you want.”

“I know that, but we might not even do any hiking.”

Starsky snuggled into Hutch’s embrace again. “Okay. So tell me about the mysterious rabbit-stew person.”

“Nope. Want you to form your own impressions.”

“First you make me that fabulous meal…” Starsky was trying to sound grumpy but Hutch could tell it was feigned. “And now you won’t even give me a hint?”

Hutch ruffled the curly hair. “You’ll just have to wait, my curious one.”

*******

When they turned onto the dirt road that led to Ralph Nelson’s cabin and the other properties beyond, they were stopped by a fence with a gate. “This is new.” Hutch got out and walked to the sign posted on the barrier. Starsky joined him.

U.S. FOREST SERVICE PROPERTY - ACCESS TO THE COTTAGES ABOVE REQUIRES A RESERVATION. PLEASE CONTACT ANDREW PETERS, PINE RIDGE RANGER STATION (800-445-1900)

There was no lock on the gate so Hutch simply lifted the latch and pushed it open far enough to allow his car to get through. “Close it after us will you, Starsk?” He walked back toward his open driver’s door.

“Hey!” Starsky appeared uncertain. “Are you sure about this?”

“We’re not going to be staying at a cabin. This road goes beyond the properties to a lookout tower. I only want to see if my friend’s there.” 

Hutch drove through and Starsky closed the gate, latching it behind them, before climbing back in the car. “If not?”

Hutch shrugged. “We’ll cross that bridge…”

The road was fairly decent and the car was in no danger of dropping into a pothole or bottoming out. In only about twenty minutes, Hutch pulled into the clearing at the base of the tower. Shelly was waiting on the catwalk.

Not having any idea what his reception would be, Hutch got out slowly, closed his door, and stood next to it. Starsky remained in the car.

Shelly nearly slid down the ladder, ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. “My God, it is you!” She stepped back and surveyed him, top to bottom. “I saw the car coming up the road and thought I recognized it…” She took a better look at the rolling wreck. “No, it’s not exactly the same, but it’s close.”

Hutch drew her back into his arms while Starsky got out and watched them, a look on his face that Hutch couldn’t read. Hutch stepped away from her half a pace. “Shelly Forsythe, meet my partner, Dave Starsky.”

Starsky came around the front of the car, his hand extended. “Pleased to make your acquaintance, ma’am.”

She shook the offered hand. “Shelly, please call me Shelly.”

“I’m Dave.” He let go and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

Hutch motioned back down the road. “What’s with the sign? Limited access to the cabins?”

“The Forest Service acquired more of the mountain five years ago and bought up the few grandfathered cottages. They rent them out to hikers.” She grabbed Hutch’s hand and started toward her aerie. “Come on up.”

Hutch followed, noticing that Starsky seemed a bit reserved in his reaction to Shelly, and maybe everything else as well. When they got up on the catwalk - there was a jug of sun tea steeping outside the door - Hutch leaned back against the rail while she preceded Starsky around the perimeter. 

When they got back to him, Starsky’s face showed a grudging respect for the views. “Not bad.” He sent Hutch a shy smile. “ For something as alien to a city boy as this place is, it’s not bad at all.”

Shelly laughed happily, picked up the tea, and led the way into her domain. 

During the next hour they drank tea from chipped mugs and she made her ‘all clear’ report on what Hutch realized was a slightly, but only slightly, newer radio. Starsky asked astute questions and her answers were couched in words that those who weren’t familiar with forestry and the specific terms involved would understand. When her tenderfoot guest fell silent at last, Shelly turned to Hutch. “So…” she put her hands on her hips. “You said, ‘partner.’ Does that mean you did become a cop?”

Starsky brushed imaginary dust off Hutch’s shoulders, resting his hand there momentarily, before dropping it. “You’re looking at Bay City’s finest!”

Hutch laughed and lightly patted Starsky’s stomach. “He’s biased, Shel. We’re a good team. In fact…” he grinned at his partner. “We both just made Lieutenant.”

“Congratulations! I want to hear everything, but it’ll be a couple more hours before I can really listen.” She looked back and forth between them. “Do you have a place to stay? Can you come for dinner?”

Hutch glanced at Starsky, who shrugged, before looking back at Shelly. “We didn’t make a reservation anywhere because I didn’t know if you’d be here or not, but we’d love to come for dinner.”

She moved to the table, tore a sheet of paper out of a small notebook and wrote something. Turning, the handed the page to Hutch. “A couple of friends of mine, Dale and Mina Culpepper, have opened one of those new Bed and Breakfasts in a big old Victorian house. You had to have passed it as you came through town. I’ll bet they can accommodate you, at least for one night. How long can you stay?”

Hutch checked with his partner again and got another shrug. “Two days? We didn’t make any definite plans. I only hoped you’d still be in your crow’s nest, so that I could introduce you to Starsky.”

“Well, I’m still here, Ken, and…” she extended her hand toward Starsky again. “I’m more than happy to meet you, Dave.”

Starsky shook, and it appeared as if the spell she was casting was worming its way under his defenses.

“Why don’t you go on down to Dale and Mina’s and get a room? I’ll expect you at my house at…” she glanced at her watch. “Eight-thirty? That’ll give me time to finish here, run home, and throw something together. Think you can still find the place, Ken?”

Hutch nodded. “I’ll manage.”

“Good! I’ll see you both then. Say ‘Hi’ to Dale and Mina for me.” With that, she took up her binoculars and began a circuit.

Hutch waited at the top of the ladder while Starsky made his careful way down, looking straight ahead, not at his feet. Hutch followed and they walked to the car. Making a three-point turn, he headed back down the road. “So, what do you think of her?”

“Did you love her?” 

Hutch glanced over and couldn’t read the look on his partner’s face, just as he’d been unable to tell what the tone of voice had meant. “Is that jealousy I hear?”

Starsky actually thought about it for a minute. “Maybe. Something’s sure eatin’ at me and I don’t know what it is.”

Hutch reached over and took Starsky’s left hand, entwining their fingers. “I didn’t want to get into it on the drive up because it’s this place, I think, as much as Shelly, that caused me to have the guts to quit UCLA.” He took his other hand off the wheel for a second and gestured to the forest. “I wanted you to see all this, before I told you about it.” 

“I gotta admit, Hutch, the view from up there was something else. I can understand your loving it here.”

“I do! But Shelly knew, instinctively I think, that I had to go back. Had to make good on what I’d tried to promise myself.”

“To give up med school.”

“Yeah.” He squeezed Starsky’s fingers. “I’d had it with the money-grubbing mentality of my fellow students and told Van I was quitting. She did her usual ‘get over it’ number and said she’d see me in three weeks. She had a photo shoot in Hawaii and couldn’t be bothered listening to what she always considered my childishness in not being able to settle on a career.”

“How caring of her.”

“That’s one word that never applied to Vanessa.”

“I remember.”

“Anyway, I spent a day a friend’s cabin, then hiked up the trail. Shelly had seen me coming up and met me at an overlook a couple hundred yards down the hill. We talked for a while and then she invited me up to the tower.”

Starsky had evidently seen something in the way Hutch and Shelly had reacted to each other and had made assumptions. “I’ll ask it a different way this time. Did you two fall in love?”

Hutch squeezed the fingers he held and, after a few moments, the pressure was returned. 

Starsky raised the clasped hands and kissed Hutch’s knuckles. “Abby didn’t bother me, Hutch. Even Gillian didn’t… very much. You and I weren’t… together, yet. I had no reason to be jealous of any of your women. Except Kira, of course, but that’s a whole other story.” Hutch couldn’t suppress a shudder and Starsky hurried on. “So I’m having a little trouble sorting out what I’m feeling here.”

“If it is jealousy, partner, I’m flattered.” When a rut tried to catch the right front tire, Hutch had to put both hands on the wheel. “But there’s no need. Shelly was a breath of very fresh air, one it turned out I was desperate for at the time.” He glanced at Starsky again. “We had a wonderful twelve days, but we both knew nothing would come of it. She told me, flat out, she’d never leave here, and she knew I didn’t belong, on a permanent basis. I said I’d thought about applying to the BCPD academy and she encouraged me to do it. She said I’d make a good cop!”

He glanced at Starsky’s inscrutable expression again. “So you see, Shelly and this mountain convinced me my decision was correct.”

“Okay. You had a fling with her and left.” Starsky stretched his left arm across the back of the seat and laced his fingers in Hutch’s hair. “And walked right into my arms at the academy.”

Hutch grinned. “More or less, I guess.”

“I’m gonna make myself like her, Hutch.”

Hutch felt the silence Starsky fell into was still a little strained but he didn’t intrude. They got down to and through the gate, continuing on into the small town where they found the B&B. Dale and Mina offered them their choice of the two rooms that were available and they chose the one overlooking a carefully maintained run-wild-looking back yard and undoubtedly the same stream that crisscrossed the trail.

“This is great,” Hutch said, shaking Dale’s hand. 

“Breakfast’s at eight, fellas, unless you want to be out earlier. If so, just let Mina know tonight and she’ll have whatever you’d like to eat ready for you whenever you want it.”

“Eight’ll be fine, thanks.”

Dale left, closing the door behind him. 

Hutch moved to Starsky at the window and enfolded him. “You’re awfully quiet, partner.”

Starsky kissed him hungrily before pulling back and searching Hutch’s face. “What’s wrong with me? I don’t have a possessive bone in my body.” He paused for a few heartbeats. “Do I?”

Hutch ran his hands reassuringly up and down Starsky’s back. “I don’t think it has anything to do with possession. I just think you’ve never met anyone I was involved with before we became lovers.”

“Other than Van, you mean.”

Hutch shrugged. “She doesn’t count, Starsk. Vanessa hated you from the moment she saw you.” He kissed Starsky lightly. “You might have liked Nancy though.”

Starsky snaked his arms around Hutch’s waist and snuggled. “Maybe.” He looked up, a vulnerability in his eyes Hutch had never seen before. “I want to like Shelly, Hutch. I really do! But I’ve got this weird feeling that something’s waiting in the trees… and it’s gonna hurt you.”

Hutch didn’t want to make light of Starsky’s uneasiness but he needed to cajole him out of this mood. “City-boy-in-the-wilderness vibes, Starsk. I’m sure that’s all it is. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“We’ll see.”

“I’ll bet I can give your mind, and other parts of your body, something else to do.” Hutch pushed the jacket off Starsky’s shoulders and began to unbutton his shirt. “Afterward, we’re going to walk down to that stream so I can introduce you to the best water you’ll ever taste.”

“Hmmmmm.” Starsky was nibbling on Hutch’s earlobe, setting fire to his blood. “Probably make great beer.”

Hutch laughed and tumbled them both onto the bed.

*******

It was almost dark by the time Hutch turned off the forest service road and parked next to Shelly’s old Toyota pickup. His headlights, before he turned them off, showed him that something was different about the house. It took a few moments before he realized that a small addition had been added onto the rear, making the place not quite as diminutive as it had been. Delicious smells were wafting out of an open window. Two bright door-side lights were on and a cassette player, sitting on the porch, was blasting classic Rolling Stones. Apparently, because of the music, Shelly hadn’t heard the car.

“Kenny!” Her voice hollered from inside. “Turn that down, please! And bring me a couple of tomatoes.”

Half a minute later, a boy, possibly thirteen or fourteen, came around the far corner of the cabin carrying a basket full of all kinds of vegetables. After he had turned off the machine, he straightened up and noticed the car. “Mom… they’re here.”

Shelly hurried out, wiping her hands on her apron. When she realized that her visitors had already seen the boy, she took a deep breath and held out her arm to him. He stepped onto the porch and she casually draped her arm around his shoulders, looking at Hutch through the windshield. 

Hutch forced himself to drag in a breath and got out of the car. He could feel Starsky’s tension as he partner exited and stood next to the passenger door. 

The boy she’d called Kenny was already as tall as his mother, with golden blond hair and bright blue eyes. He slipped his left arm around Shelly’s waist and stared, somewhat belligerently Hutch thought, straight at him.

Shelly appeared to be fighting a combination of embarrassment, fear, and determination as she pulled her son with her toward the car. “I guess my surprise is spoiled, isn’t it?” They stopped at the front bumper and waited.

With Hutch barely noticing, Starsky had walked around behind the car and now put a hand lightly on Hutch’s back. “I’m right here, babe.”

Feeling as if his feet were mired in mud, Hutch moved forward and stuck out his hand. “Hi, Kenny. Since you look exactly like I did in my sophomore high school picture… I believe I must be your father.”

*******

The four walked into the house, Shelly and Kenny ahead of Hutch, with Starsky bringing up the rear.

“Dinner’s just about ready!” She took the basket from Kenny and moved to the kitchen counter. “Go wash your hands, honey, then take the casserole and bread out of the oven and put them on the table, please.”

The boy ducked through a door next to the kitchen while Shelly began cutting up the tomatoes. She glanced over her shoulder at Hutch. “You and Dave can wash up outside, if that’s okay, Ken. You know where. There’s soap in the dish and a fresh towel on the rod.”

“I remember, Shel.” Hutch led the way outside and around the corner to a sink embedded in a long counter attached to the east wall of the house, next to the garden. Hutch turned on the tap, wet his hands and lathered them with soap before passing the bar to Starsky. “Well… I wasn’t prepared for that.”

Starsky didn’t say a word while he washed his hands, then took the towel from Hutch. The look his partner gave him was one Hutch couldn’t decipher but he heard, _something’s waiting in the trees._

Back inside, Kenny was taking a covered dish out of the oven. Without meeting the eyes of any of the adults, he placed it on the hot pad in the center of the already-set table, before going back for the basket of bread. Shelly brought the salad over and sat down with her back to the kitchen. Kenny sat to her right and Hutch and Starsky took the other two chairs.

Still without making eye contact, Kenny held out his right hand, fingers extended, toward Hutch and, figuring his plate was being requested, Hutch passed it to him. The boy served the main course expertly, leaving not a drop of sauce on the table cloth. Starsky’s plate was filled next, followed by his mother’s. When his own serving had been dished up, he placed both hands in his lap and stared at his plate.

Shelly passed around the salad bowl and everyone helped themselves. When long seconds of tense silence had passed, Shelly looked at Hutch. “So, Lieutenant Hutchinson, I imagine you noticed the new room on the back of the house. Are you surprised it’s my son who’s living in it?”

Hutch blurted out the first words that came into his mouth. “You said you were on birth control!”

Her embarrassed laughter reminded Hutch how much he had loved hearing that sweet sound. Even in these circumstances, it was merry. “I was. But after I saw you on the trail that day, I didn’t take another pill.”

Kenny made a soft, choked sound and she put her hand on his arm, smiling the kind of smile only a mother can bestow on a beloved child. She was looking at the boy when she spoke again. “Long before I met you, Ken, I wanted a child.” She looked at Hutch. “I have my son now, and I’m the happiest woman in the world! You made that happen, and I’ll be forever grateful.”

Hutch found himself speechless and it wasn’t until he felt Starsky’s hand on his knee under the table that he came back to himself, took a deep breath, and smiled. “I’m glad, Shel.” He tried to control his roiling thoughts but knew his voice betrayed them. “You should have told me, instead of letting me think you were protected all that time. I almost went into cardiac arrest outside, when I saw him.”

“Hey!” Starsky said. “I’ve been there, pal, you never even came close!”

Hutch couldn’t believe Starsky had mentioned that day in the hospital; they never talked about it. The crooked grin his partner sent him told Hutch he was trying to lighten the mood. Shelly appeared stunned. 

Kenny looked interested for the first time since they’d arrived and stared at Starsky. “Did you really die?”

Starsky nodded. “Ain’t nothin’ to write home about, kid.”

“Wait’ll I tell the guys at school.”

“You’ll do no such thing, young man, you’ll -”

“It’s okay, Shelly,” Starsky broke in. “He can tell anyone he wants to. I lived through it; don’t remember it, but all’s well that ends well, I guess.”

The tension was, if not broken, lessened, and everyone began to eat.

As Kenny took a slice of bread and passed the basket to Hutch, he caught Hutch’s eyes and held them. “I know about you two.” His tone was still guarded. “I know who you are.”

Shelly dropped her fork. “What?” 

“My Civics class, Mom. We read all kinds of news articles about them. Mr. Burns was so impressed by the way they took down James Gunther a few years ago, he did some research and put together a scrapbook of all their… exploits.” He looked more closely at Starsky. “I think the part about you dying was in there somewhere but I figured it was journalistic crap. Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it, kid,” Starsky said. “I try to forget it all the time.”

Kenny looked back at his mother. “Mr. Burns used that book to try and teach us about responsibility, loyalty, personal integrity, and trust.”

“You never mentioned anything.” When she picked her fork back up, Hutch noticed her hand was shaking, just a little.

“When I saw a picture of him,” Kenny gestured to Hutch, “I knew he almost had to be my father. I figured you didn’t want me to know.”

She shook her head. “It wasn’t that, Kenny.” She cast a beseeching look at her son, then Hutch. “It _wasn’t_!”

“What was it, then?” Kenny’s question sounded reasonable, if somewhat sullen. “You never told me anything about him and now he just shows up.”

“I was going to tell you when I thought you were old enough.” Her expression said she knew it sounded lame, even to her.

Kenny shrugged, plainly attempting to act very adult and world-weary. “You two fucked for a couple weeks. I get that. You…” he glanced at Hutch again, clearly striving for an I-couldn’t-care-less attitude, “planted me in her, and split. What’s the big deal?”

“Kenny!” Shelly raised her hand, possibly intending a slap. 

Hutch reached across the small table and caught her wrist before he looked at Kenny. He waited until the boy returned his gaze. “Did you learn anything in that Civics class?”

Kenny’s grown-up mask slipped. “Whaddaya mean?”

“You said Mr. Burns taught responsibility and loyalty from our,” he glanced at Starsky, “scrapbook.”

“Yeah. So?”

“Loyalty means you stand up for your friends, your family. You don’t say mean, gutter-speak, harsh things about them. Responsibility means you own up to your mistakes when you’ve made them.” He kept his eyes locked on his son’s. “Apologize to your mother.”

Kenny slumped in his chair and had to take a couple of deep breaths before he could look at Shelly. “I’m sorry, Mom.”

With tears in her eyes, she stood up and pulled him to his feet. Even though they were the same height, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight. “I didn’t mean for this to be so difficult.” She stepped back and looked at Hutch. “For either of you.”

Hutch put his napkin on the table, pushed his chair back and approached Kenny, his hand extended. “Let’s try this again, shall we? Ken Hutchinson.”

Shelly let her son go and, after only a moment, he took Hutch’s hand. “Kenneth Stanley Forsythe.”

Shelly dashed the tears from her face and sat back down. “Stanley was my father.” Plastering on a cheerful smile, she picked her fork back up. “Since Kenny already seems to know what you two have been up to, why not fill me in? The last I heard of you, Ken, you were going to apply to the Bay City Police Academy.”

“That’s where Starsky and I met.” Hutch cast a look at his partner that he knew Starsky would understand but hoped would appear casual to mother and son.

Starsky proceeded to give a redacted account of their partnership, managing to suppress what Hutch sensed were still-conflicted feelings about Shelly. Their listeners were attentive, asked cogent questions, gasped or laughed in the appropriate places, and appeared to thoroughly enjoy the recitation. Every morsel of the casserole was consumed, as was an entire apple cobbler.

When the dishes had been cleared and were soaking in the sink, Shelly turned to Hutch and Starsky. “Kenny and I have some gardening to do or we’ll run out of food before the end of the week.” Kenny was taking six Coleman lanterns down off hooks on the wall and lighting them. As each pair attained full glow, he took them outside.

Shelly pulled on a worn pair of gardening gloves. “Would you two like to help? Or would you rather go back to the B&B?”

Starsky hung back. “I’ll do the dishes. That way, neither of you will have to worry about them in the morning and, besides, it’s the least I can do. That was a really terrific meal, Shelly!” Without looking at Hutch, he picked up Shelly’s discarded apron, tied it around his waist, and turned to the sink.

Shelly looked down at Hutch’s large hands. “I don’t think we have a pair of gloves big enough to fit you.”

“Sure we do, Mom!” Kenny threw open a wooden chest against the wall, dug around and came up with a disreputable pair, dusting them off against his leg. “These were Mr. Kindoll’s remember? He gave them to me before he died because he said I’d need them, eventually.” He handed them to Hutch.

Pulling them on, Hutch followed Shelly and Kenny, each carrying another pair of lanterns, outside. Kenny spaced the lanterns out on fence posts around the garden and Hutch realized this was something Shelly and her son probably did during many an evening. 

“What can I do, Shel?” Hutch asked. 

“If you don’t already know which ones are weeds, Kenny will show you. I’m going to thin the lettuce, pinch the tomatoes, pull some carrots, dig a few potatoes, and cut a batch of beans for tomorrow night. If you two haven’t eradicated every invasive by that time, you can patch the chicken wire.”

Hutch couldn’t remember when he’d gotten as much enjoyment out of something like pulling weeds but, as he worked alongside his son, glancing once in a while at Shelly, he realized he was extremely content. Gradually, Kenny relaxed and appeared to harbor fewer resentments toward both his mother and new-found father.

“So, Kenny,” Hutch said, straightening up and working a kink out of his back. “Did anyone else in your Civics class notice how much you look like the photos of me?” The boy shrugged but appeared embarrassed. Hutch put a gentle hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay. You can tell me.”

“Robby Steele made some nasty comments but…” 

“But…?”

Kenny looked up, his young face set with determination. “I made him take ‘em back.”

Hutch’s heart swelled but he didn’t allow it to show, nodding instead. “Good for you. Always try to put a bully in his place, Ken.”

Kenny blushed with pleasure. “Yes, sir.” He turned away and yanked more weeds out of the ground. “Can I tell ‘em?” His back was turned and Hutch barely heard the words.

“Can you tell your friends, and Robby Steele, about me? Is that what you asked?” The boy didn’t turn around but Hutch thought he saw a nod. “Let me talk with your mother first, okay?”

“Sure. No problem.”

As his son tore through another row of unwanteds, Hutch noticed Starsky standing at the edge of the porch. He was leaning against the corner of the house, clearly listening. 

*******

After the weeds had all been pulled, a few holes in the chicken wire fencing repaired, and all the cuttings flung toward the rabbits’ patch, Shelly sent Kenny inside with the harvest. “See if you can do anything to help Dave in the kitchen, okay? And you can cut up those beans for me, if you would.”

“Sure, Mom.”

When he was out of earshot, Shelly led the way to the corner of the plot farthest from the house and sat down on one of the two stumps obviously put there for tired gardeners. Hutch sat on the other one.

She was looking up at the blanket of stars when she spoke softly. “You found the love your life, Ken, and I’m so glad. For both of you.”

Hutch had to swallow a few times before he could respond. “How did you know?”

She looked at him and the stars were now in her gaze. “I can see it in your eyes when you look at each other. And the way you touch. During those two weeks we were together I think you fell a little in love with me, but I knew I wasn’t the one you needed. You’re such a deeply caring person, Ken, you needed someone who matched you for loyalty, trust, commitment, and understanding. I thought it would be a woman, someone other than Vanessa, but, quite clearly, I was wrong. It was Dave. He’s your other half; you complete each other. And it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Thank you. You don’t know what it means to me to hear you say those things. I didn’t want you or Kenny to get the wrong impression.”

“You love each other. Anyone can see that.”

“I really hope you’re wrong there, kid. The BCPD isn’t ready to find out about us. At least not yet.”

She laughed. “It’s obvious to me, Ken, but I doubt that it would be to other people.”

“What are you and Kenny going to do?” He took one of her hands. “And do you need any help?”

“I’m here for the rest of my life; I don’t ever want to be anywhere else. They’re phasing out the lookout stations. They say they can keep an eye on things from satellites. I’ll probably take over Andy’s job at the base when they kick me out of my tower, but I’ll never leave here.”

Hutch shook his head. “Watching for fires from space… What’ll they think of next?”

“Don’t ask!” Taking her hands back, she grew contemplative. “I hope Kenny will decide to go to college; he’s a chip off me when it comes to loving the outdoors. But he wants to learn how to protect and nurture the forests, not just clear-cut them.”

“I’ve got some money, Shel -”

“No, Ken!” She put her hands up, palms outward, before clasping them in her lap. “Thank you for the offer, but, no. My mother’s family was wealthy and it’s all waiting for Kenny.”

“I was blown away when I saw him,” Hutch admitted. “He really does look like me, doesn’t he?”

“Oh God, yes! It makes me reminiscently happy every time I see him when he comes home from school.”

“Has he ever been off the mountain?”

“Of course he has. We’ve been to Sacramento and Fresno a few times, even went up to San Francisco once. But he’s no more of a city person than I am. I don’t think he’d be happy jammed in with a bunch of people. And bad air to breathe.”

Hutch shuddered. “Don’t remind me.” She smiled and he reached for her hands again. “I’m happy for you, Shel. For both of you. But I’m going to leave you my card. If either of you ever needs anything... Ever! Anything! I want you to call me. Promise you’ll do that, okay?”

“No, Ken!” She jerked her hands back. “I don’t want you to feel -”

“Promise me, Shelly. Anything. Ever.”

She had to think about it for a few minutes, twisting the gloves in her fingers, until she finally nodded. “Okay.” She looked at him, almost shyly. “I knew I’d waited for the perfect man to give me a son.” Leaning forward, she kissed him lightly on the mouth. “Thank you.”

“He asked me if he could tell his friends.” She appeared suddenly wary and he hurried on. “I told him I’d talk it over with you.”

“What do you think?” She was plainly uncertain.

“It’s entirely up to you, Shel. You and Kenny are the ones who have to live here. Please don’t do anything that will make things difficult for you.”

“I’ll think about it. If it wouldn’t cause you any trouble, I may say, yes. He has every right to be proud of you, and I want him to feel that pride.”

“It can’t do me any harm, Shel. I’ll be thrilled if he wants to claim me as his father. I’m more than happy to say he’s my son.”

She leaned forward and kissed him again. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

*******

Hutch spent some time in Kenny’s room, getting an education about current rock groups, and an earful of his son’s views on the way forests should be managed, not farmed. Suddenly seeming to run out of steam, Kenny sat down on the edge of his bed. 

Hutch sat beside him. “I talked to your mom, about you telling your friends. She’s going to think about it and let you know.” He looked the boy square in the eyes. “Whatever she decides, Ken, please abide by it.”

“I will, sir.”

“Good.” He smiled at the combination of sweetness, youthful wariness and adult determination in a face he used to see in the mirror. “If I’m right, she’ll say, ‘Go for it.’ But, if not, you’ll keep it between us. Right?”

“Yes, sir!”

“If she does let you tell them, and you want me to come up sometime and give a little talk of my own about loyalty and responsibility, I’ll be here in no time. Count on it!”

“Would you bring your partner?”

“I couldn’t go anywhere without him. He’s my other half.”

Kenny looked sad. “I hope I didn’t offend him. I wasn’t very nice when you showed up. I didn’t want to like either one of you. But especially him, for some reason, even though he’s your partner.”

Hutch chuckled. “Starsky can be a handful sometimes, but he grows on you. Next time we come up, I’ll make sure you get to spend more time with him.”

“You’re leaving? I thought you’d be staying at least another day.”

Hutch put his arm around the boy’s shoulders. “I think you and your mom need to talk… about a lot of things. Bay City’s not all that far away, you know.”

Kenny smiled but his eyes were trying to close and he couldn’t stop a prodigious yawn. “Would you say goodnight to mom and Dave for me? Suddenly, I feel like I’m half asleep.”

“I sure will.” Hutch got up and looked down at the boy. “I have to tell you I’m damn proud to be your father.” Before he choked on another word, he cleared his throat. “I’m going to give my contact information to your mother. You will let me know if there’s ever anything you need, right?”

“Yeah… uh, I… I guess… Sure… uh, yes, sir.”

On impulse, Hutch pulled the boy to his feet and wrapped his long arms around him. “Don’t ever let anyone put you down for stammering once in a while. You come by it honestly. I used to do it all the time.”

“Really?”

Hutch ruffled the boy’s hair. “Really.”

After a moment, Hutch felt Kenny’s arms around his waist.

*******

He closed Kenny’s bedroom door and looked around the empty living room. He figured Shelly and his partner must be out on the front porch. Digging into his pocket, he took several cards out of his new holder. He and Starsky had never had actual business cards but, as freshly-minted Lieutenants, they had figured it was about time, and had gifted each other with the holders. 

He crossed to the telephone table and was slipping the cards under the instrument when soft voices drew him to the open front door. Through the screen he could see Starsky leaning against a porch post; Shelly was sitting on the step. He didn’t intend to eavesdrop but the tone of Starsky’s voice froze him where he stood.

“Shelly… When I saw you and Kenny with my partner, out in the garden earlier, a vicious green monster clawed its way out of my subconscious and started gnawing on my heart. I was jealous of you.”

“Don’t say that, Dave. You have nothing to be jealous about.”

“You’ve given Hutch something I never can. It’s eating me up!”

She jumped to her feet, moved to him, and put her arms around his neck, simply holding him tightly. After a long moment, he clasped her body to him.”

“Shhhhhh. It’s okay,” she crooned. “I can understand how you might feel but there is, truly, no reason to feed that green monster.” She drew back and put both hands to the sides of his face. “He loves you, Dave. As he never could have loved me. As he’s probably never loved anyone else in his life!”

“That’s what he says,” Starsky admitted.

“Then believe him. He’s yours, maybe always was, and, for sure, always will be. The twelve days he and I spent together were beneficial for both of us. Each of us needed the other at the time but we’ve both moved way past that. I have my son as a result of our interlude. When he left this mountain, though, he found you.” She kissed his cheek. “And I, for one, believe that’s the way it was meant.”

Starsky couldn’t seem to drag his eyes away from hers and, at last, he nodded. “Damn, lady, you do know how to make a guy feel better.”

She laughed and Hutch was again reminded of how genuine and lovely a sound it was. “You’re welcome, sir.”

Hutch ghosted away from the door before taking a few heavy steps and pushing through the screen. Starsky and Shelly had resumed their previous positions by the time he walked outside. “Kenny said to say his Goodnights. I think he’s a little tired.”

Shelly stood up. “I’m not surprised.”

“Ready to go, partner?” Starsky asked, his voice casual.

Hutch took Shelly’s hand. “I left my cards by the phone, Shel. Promise me you’ll call if you or Kenny ever need anything.”

“Yes. I promise.” She looked back and forth between them. “You’re going back to Bay City tomorrow, aren’t you?”

Hutch glanced at Starsky and heard, _up to you, buddy_. He looked at Shelly and smiled, sad but happy. “Yes.”

It appeared as if she already knew that. “Well, I’m glad you showed up today. I’d been trying to figure out how to tell you and my son about each other and wasn’t coming up with anything workable.”

Hutch leaned in and kissed her gently on the mouth. “This is probably the way things were meant to be, Shel. Thank you for my son. Thank you for tonight…. Thank you for everything.”

He walked toward the car. When he turned around at the driver’s door, he saw Starsky take her hand, raise it to his lips, and kiss the knuckles. Then he sprinted to the passenger side and climbed in.

Hutch waved and as she waved back, he started the car and backed out of the drive. Turning around, he headed toward town.

“Hutch…”

“Hmmm?”

“Would you mind an awful lot if we don’t stay at the B&B tonight? We could be home in four or five hours.”

Hutch looked over at his partner. “No, Starsk, I don’t mind. But what brought this on? I thought you liked Dale and Mina’s place.”

“I do! But I’ve got a lot of things I need to think about and I’m afraid, if we’re anywhere near a big, soft, king-size bed anytime soon, I won’t get very much of that done.”

Hutch hid a smirk. “We’ll stop and pick up our bags, then, and be on our way. Since we’ve already paid, I’m sure Dale and Mina won’t mind.”

“We can afford it, right?”

“Don’t even think about it, Starsk. You’re worth more to me than any night in a Bed and Breakfast.”

*******

The silences Hutch often shared with Starsky had never felt more companionable than the couple of hours that passed during the first part of the drive back to Bay City.

They stopped for gas at the bottom of the Grapevine and while Hutch pumped, Starsky visited the head. Then, while Starsky paid, Hutch took advantage of the facilities.

“They had peach ice tea, Hutch. I got us each one.” Starsky handed him a tall, lidded plastic cup, with straw.

“That sounds good.” When he took a sip, it was! “Thanks, Starsk.”

“My pleasure.” Starsky greedily sucked on his straw. 

Hutch started the car and meandered around the ramps until he’d gotten them back onto the south-bound freeway.

Starsky broke the silence. “You heard me and Shelly, out on the porch, didn’t you?”

Hutch hesitated for only a moment. “Yeah, I did.”

“I don’t know why I was jealous, Hutch, but she straightened me out.”

Hutch reached over and ruffled the curly hair. “I’m glad. Because I love you, and only you.”

Starsky leaned into the caress. “I know.”

As the blanket of lights that was Los Angeles and cities south came into view on the other side of the pass, Starsky’s soft, solemn tone brought Hutch out of his mental replay of the last two days.

“I have a daughter, Hutch. You have a son. Maybe, someday, we could get them together.”

The thought struck Hutch like a thunderbolt and, when the vibrations drifted away, it left a warm place inside. “Maybe.” 

*******

A brief history  
of a partnership and love  
with a bright future

 

* “Miami Lines,” on this site  
\+ “1983 - A Pilgrimage,” also on this site


End file.
